From: Hartford Courant | Opinion
Cigarette Tax Hike: Smuggling Up, Revenue Down
MICHAEL LAFAIVE, TODD NESBIT
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Retailers are not the only victims. Wholesalers and warehouses have been robbed, truckloads hijacked and people arrested in murder-for-hire cases involving smuggled cigarettes. Public corruption is also part of the trade. One Maryland police officer was busted for participating in a smuggling ring where he used his official police cruiser to escort contraband to its destination.
Connecticut lawmakers are right to take the state budget deficit seriously. The governor, as required by law, has recommended ways to eliminate it. Some of those ideas have merit, but raising cigarette taxes doesn’t guarantee more revenue — or fewer people smoking, for that matter. It virtually guarantees an uptick in lawlessness.
